John Cowie Reid was born in
Auckland,
New Zealand on 4 January 1916. He was educated at
Sacred Heart College and
Auckland University College. After some time spent in various occupations, he became a secondary school teacher at
Auckland Grammar School for short periods before and after the
Second World War. From 1942 to 1946, he served with the New Zealand Military Forces, partly in the Army Education Service. He was active in musical, film, literary, and
Roman Catholic organisations. In 1952–53 he engaged in research at the
University of Wisconsin–Madison. He was renowned as a superb lecturer, lively, cogent and persuasive. A man of great determination and energy, he was a noted broadcaster and a writer for periodicals. He was the founding chairman of the
Mercury Theatre. From 1966 until its closure in 1992, the Mercury grew to become
New Zealand's largest, most prolific professional theatre company. Reid died prematurely, on 31 May 1972, leaving a wife, Joyce, six sons and a daughter. ==Principal publications==